Shootout at Canada's Parliament; 2 killed

Ottawa: Canada's Parliament came under attack on Wednesday with a barrage of gunshots fired both inside and outside the building as a soldier was killed in the assault and a man with a rifle was gunned down by security forces.

Parliament Hill came under attack when a man with a rifle shot a soldier standing guard at the National War Memorial in downtown Ottawa, before seizing a car and driving to the doors of building's Centre Block nearby. The injured soldier later succumbed to his wounds.

"Condolences to family of the soldier killed and prayers for the parliamentary guard wounded. Canada will not be terrorised or intimidated," Employment Minister Jason Kenney said on Twitter. MPs and other witnesses reported several shots fired inside Parliament and a gunman has been confirmed dead inside the building shot by the House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Ottawa police confirmed shots were fired in three locations: the war memorial, inside Centre Block of the Parliament and at the Rideau Centre. The downtown area remained in police lockdown. One suspect was believed to be at large, reports said. Police were searching cars leaving Ottawa and trying to go to Quebec.

A sustained volley of shots was fired. Startled security personnel and political staff scrambled to take cover in the limestone alcoves as bullets flew.

Alain Merisier, who works at the cafeteria in one of the Parliament Buildings, said he saw a man in a car at the Centre Block with a long gun. There were unconfirmed reports that a person was injured outside the Library of the Parliament.